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  • The Benefit of a #1 Receiver

    Interesting read


    USA Today Images
    Eagles Film Review: Alshon Jeffery’s hidden impact

    By Andrew Kulp | The700Level October 06, 2017 2:54 PM


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    Through four games, Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery has 17 receptions for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns. That puts him on pace to finish 2017 with 68 receptions, 860 yards and 8 touchdowns.
    That’s good – but is it $9.5-million-per-year good?
    That’s the amount the Eagles agreed to pay Jeffery in March, and while it was only a one-year contract, we’re a quarter of the way through the season, and there’s a sense we may be no closer to knowing whether he was worth it. That figure doesn’t even include incentives, of which he’s currently on pace to earn another $400,000.
    Ten million dollars for good-not-great production. Of course, there’s more to a player’s value than statistics.
    Jeffery may not be busting out of the box score on a weekly basis, but he’s doing a heck of a lot more damage than the numbers suggest. Look no further than what the presence of a true No. 1 receiver has done for Eagles tight end Zach Ertz.
    “It’s benefited (Ertz) tremendously,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Friday. “He’s getting a little more of the one-on-one stuff. You’re not seeing the combo coverages necessarily on Zach until you get in the red zone area.
    “Having Alshon on the outside, on the perimeter, has really allowed him to have better one-on-one matchups. He does a great job with that, and a good route-runner – obviously, it’s really helped him.”
    Ertz is currently tied for fourth in the NFL with 26 receptions and ranks sixth with 326 receiving yards. The fifth-year player is off to the by far best start of his career, and it is absolutely thanks in part to Jeffery.

    alshon-ertz-1-1.jpg





    Look at Ertz’s 38-yard catch against the Chargers in Week 4. Jeffery is at the top of the screen in a twin-receiver set with Nelson Agholor, with two tight ends bunched at the bottom. Right away, you can see the single-high safety is shaded to the receiver-side of the field – he’s on the right hash mark, and the ball is being snapped on the left.

    alshon-ertz-1-2.jpg





    But with Jeffery and Agholor running shallow crosses, Ertz is really who the deep safety needs to be worried about.

    alshon-ertz-1-3.jpg





    Further compounding the matter for the Chargers, Brent Celek’s route to the sideline is going to draw the defensive back, leaving a linebacker stuck on Ertz down the field.

    alshon-ertz-1-4.jpg





    The defense winds up with five players looking at Jeffery and Agholor, a defensive back on 32-year-old Celek – and Ertz soon to be all alone. It’s a nice play-design all-around, but the lack of safety help over the top is what allows this to go for a huge gain.

    alshon-ertz-1-5.jpg





    These plays rarely happened in 2016 because the Eagles didn’t have a legitimate big-play threat on the outside. Jordan Matthews was the best wide receiver on the team, and he lined up primarily in the slot. That made life easy on defenses, which could focus all of the attention on the middle of the field, where Ertz does the bulk of his work.
    “It spreads people out,” Pederson said. “Defensively, you’re worried about a couple of guys, not just one or an area of the field. “
    It’s not just Ertz that’s benefiting, either. Agholor pulled in a 36-yard reception on a similar look in the first quarter, and Torrey Smith would’ve had a big play, too, if he could only hold on to the football.
    Jeffery may not have the pure numbers to justify his salary, but there’s no question he’s making a difference. Plus, in addition to drawing safety help to his side of the field, Jeffery has often drawn the defense’s No. 1 cornerback as well – Josh Norman, Marcus Peters, Janoris Jenkins and Casey Heyward thus far.
    “That’s part of it,” Pederson said. “Any time you put their top defender against your top receiver, I don’t want to say it eliminates the field, but it definitely draws your attention to other areas. They can be part of the – I don’t want to say a problem – but it can be a part of the lack of targets and things like that because it’s a solid matchup.
    “You’re not going to sit there and try to shove sand when you don’t need to. You still have a tight end and a couple other receivers and the run game that you can work.”
    In other words, when the Cardinals have Patrick Peterson locked on Jeffery all day this Sunday (see 5 matchups to watch), don’t be surprised when the Eagles target Ertz or look to their other options instead.



    IMO he is helping the running game as well. Can't wait to see Wentz start hitting deep off of play action.
    We're looking for people that are fundamentally different,” vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl said Saturday night. “The love and passion for football, it's non-negotiable. They're caring, their character, they do the right thing persistently, and they have a relentless playing style that you can see on tape. The motor, it burns hot. You see them finishing plays. They have a team-first mentality. They're selfless individuals.

  • #2
    I love analysis like these.

    Comment


    • #3
      Alshon is a steal at his salary.
      "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"

      Comment


      • #4
        Have been saying it for years --- gotta have WR's that nmake D Co-ordinators game plan for.

        Comment


        • #5
          Not much different than having a Pinkston or Smith being able to get deep quickly in order to draw defenders away.
          With the parity in the NFL you have to have good players across the board. Nice if you can have great ones but that just isn't possible with the cap and other things. But a respectable running game helps receivers. Respectable receivers help the running game. I'm not sure anyone would disagree that, overall, our receivers are good but not great; our a RBs are good but not great; our TEs are good but not great; our OL is good but not great; and our QB may be on the road to great but right now I would say he is good but not great. Hopefully all these guys realize they are good but notgreat and don't try to rock the boat wanting a fortune or wanting to be the prima dona
          Wait until next year is a terrible philosophy
          Hope is not a strategy
          RIP

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by NoDakIggle View Post
            Not much different than having a Pinkston or Smith being able to get deep quickly in order to draw defenders away.
            With the parity in the NFL you have to have good players across the board. Nice if you can have great ones but that just isn't possible with the cap and other things. But a respectable running game helps receivers. Respectable receivers help the running game. I'm not sure anyone would disagree that, overall, our receivers are good but not great; our a RBs are good but not great; our TEs are good but not great; our OL is good but not great; and our QB may be on the road to great but right now I would say he is good but not great. Hopefully all these guys realize they are good but notgreat and don't try to rock the boat wanting a fortune or wanting to be the prima dona
            I don't know how you do it ND. A good player like Benny Logan got an $8 million contract from KC?
            "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by NoDakIggle View Post
              Not much different than having a Pinkston or Smith being able to get deep quickly in order to draw defenders away.
              With the parity in the NFL you have to have good players across the board. Nice if you can have great ones but that just isn't possible with the cap and other things. But a respectable running game helps receivers. Respectable receivers help the running game. I'm not sure anyone would disagree that, overall, our receivers are good but not great; our a RBs are good but not great; our TEs are good but not great; our OL is good but not great; and our QB may be on the road to great but right now I would say he is good but not great. Hopefully all these guys realize they are good but notgreat and don't try to rock the boat wanting a fortune or wanting to be the prima dona

              Not sure I agree on a couple of points, but just opinion.

              I think D Coordinators game plan much much differently playing against Smith, Alshon and Aggy --- then they did when with had Pinky and whoever, or Small and Johnson. I think only Owens command game planning for in the past.

              Also I'm not willing to call our O line "good" yet... just me.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by MDFAN View Post
                Not sure I agree on a couple of points, but just opinion.

                I think D Coordinators game plan much much differently playing against Smith, Alshon and Aggy --- then they did when with had Pinky and whoever, or Small and Johnson. I think only Owens command game planning for in the past.

                Also I'm not willing to call our O line "good" yet... just me.
                I don't think that Pinky kept anybody up at night.
                "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"

                Comment


                • #9
                  I want first play tomorrow to be play action deep bomb to Smith.
                  Canada's #1 Eagles fan.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by rspurr View Post
                    I want first play tomorrow to be play action deep bomb to Smith.
                    2nd and 10.
                    "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Eagle60 View Post
                      I don't think that Pinky kept anybody up at night.
                      Also not sure it was ever right to call him a #1!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Eagle60 View Post
                        2nd and 10.
                        Boo!
                        Canada's #1 Eagles fan.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Having speed definitely changes the game. Think of the stacked box we saw all last year because none of our receivers commanded respect.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by MDFAN View Post
                            Also not sure it was ever right to call him a #1!
                            He was built like the #1, maybe that's what he meant
                            We're looking for people that are fundamentally different,” vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl said Saturday night. “The love and passion for football, it's non-negotiable. They're caring, their character, they do the right thing persistently, and they have a relentless playing style that you can see on tape. The motor, it burns hot. You see them finishing plays. They have a team-first mentality. They're selfless individuals.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Smith needs to step up and do SOMETHING, anything. Although Wentz needs to hit a deep pass if it is there
                              We're looking for people that are fundamentally different,” vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl said Saturday night. “The love and passion for football, it's non-negotiable. They're caring, their character, they do the right thing persistently, and they have a relentless playing style that you can see on tape. The motor, it burns hot. You see them finishing plays. They have a team-first mentality. They're selfless individuals.

                              Comment

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